A woman was injured Friday morning, September 11, 2026, when a driver who had allegedly been drinking veered across northbound Interstate 5 near milepost 114, close to the Nisqually River Bridge in Thurston County, and slammed into her car. Joseph K. Hansen, 33, of Kelso, was reportedly driving a 2017 Toyota Sienna on the right shoulder when he struck a barrier, swerved back into traffic and hit a 2016 Hyundai Elantra driven by Jasmine A. Cieplik, 42, of Lacey. Cieplik’s car careened onto the left shoulder and struck the guardrail before coming to rest. Hansen allegedly did not stop and kept driving north on I-5.
According to the Nisqually Valley News, the crash was reported at approximately 6:07 a.m., and the Washington State Patrol determined that DUI was the cause of the collision. Cieplik was transported to Providence St. Peter Hospital for treatment of her injuries, the outlet reported. Hansen faces possible charges of DUI, reckless driving and hit-and-run, and the Washington State Patrol’s investigation remains active.
